GHAZIABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch civilian flight operations at Hindon airbase and inaugurate the 9.4 km-long Dilshad Garden-New Bus Adda section of Delhi Metro's Red Line on March 8, officials said Monday. Modi will arrive at Hindon airbase from Kanpur around 4 pm and head to the New Bus Adda metro station by road. After inaugurating the metro corridor he will return to the airbase, where he will launch the the civilian flight operations and will then address a public meeting at an adjacent ground, which falls under Sikanderpur village, District Magistrate Ritu Maheshwari said. The Indian Air Force permitted use of the airbase for civilian flights under regional air connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik). The move is expected to help in reducing the load at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in neighbouring Delhi. UDAN seeks to connect unserved and underserved airports as well as make flying more affordable. The Dilshad Garden-New Bus Adda section of the Red Line will be an extension of the 25.09-km Rithala-Dilshad Garden corridor, which has 21 stations. The elevated section comprises eight stations -- Shahid Nagar, Raj Bagh, Rajendra Nagar, Shyam Park, Mohan Nagar, Arthala, Hindon River Station and New Bus Adda. This section will immensely benefit the people of Ghaziabad and connect the satellite city with the national capital. After the opening of this section, the Delhi Metro network will span 336.5 km with 244 metro stations. The Delhi Metro's current operational span is 327 km with 236 stations.

DIG Upendra Agarwal said around 4,000 police personnel, apart from National Security Guard (NSG), would be deployed to provide security during the prime minister's visit. The prime minister is also likely to visit the CISF's campus in the city's Indirapuram area as chief guest on its 51st Foundation Day on March 10. However, the visit is yet to be confirmed by the prime minister's office, Agarwal said.